How to Use a Meat Thermometer (3 Easy Steps)

Over the past few months, thanks to my schedule freeing up and other circumstances, I have been designated the family cook and have been cooking for my family a lot. It is an absolute joy for me to indulge my wanting mouth with a juicy, tender medium-rare steak for dinner. I may have nailed it a few times (on sheer luck), but most times, it just turns into a well-done situation or, worse, overdone and dry.

And believe me, I love following recipes, but I just cannot seem to perfect it. Recipes tell me to take the meat’s temperature, but I have observed that the temperature depends on where you stick the thermometer. So it is a different reading every time. I figured this might be the root cause of my gustatory predicament. So I looked into the Science of perfecting a steak, and a huge factor is the RIGHT way of using a meat thermometer.

Still don’t have a thermometer? Check out our guide to digital meat thermometers.

What is a Meat Thermometer?

A meat thermometer is basically a sharp skewer that you poke into the middle of a cooking piece of meat to read the internal temperature. It allows you to know the internal doneness of your meat without having to cut it open to look. This takes the guesswork out of your cooking, especially for cuts of meat that are critical to be done “just right” like chicken breasts, pork loin, a thick steak, etc. If you cook them just a bit too long, they may get dried out and tough. If they are undercooked (especially poultry and pork) they can be dangerous to eat. A meat thermometer helps you determine the perfect time to pull the food out of the oven or off your grill.

Getting the Most Accurate Temperature for your Meat

Part of knowing the ideal measurement of heat is also knowing where to stick your thermometer. We aim for the coolest part of the meat, which, according to Science, is the center. But the principle is hard to apply if you are working with thinner cuts like chicken breasts, steaks, and/or pork chops because the center section is so slim.

The trick with thinner cuts is to target the general area, then push the thermometer through the meat until it emerges on the other side. If you are dealing with a whole turkey or a prime rib, push your thermometer all the way through until you hit bone.

Gently retract the thermometer, and you will observe an abrupt increase in the reading as the tip reenters the meat. Eventually, it will then drop as you get closer to the center. Notice that you will hit a low point, and then it will start to rise again since the tip of the thermometer is slowly resurfacing. That low point is the temperature you follow. Keep your eyes on the changes in your thermometer, or you might miss the coldest point of your meat.

How to use a meat thermometer to get the most accurate readings

Steaks, roasts and thick pork chops

The best way to use your meat thermometer to make sure you get an accurate reading for these cuts of meat is to insert the thermometer right into the center of the thickest part, but you need to stay away from the bone or excess fat.

Turkey or Chicken (or other whole poultry)

Meat thermometers are best inserted directly into the inner thigh, close to the breast. You need to be sure you are not accidentally touching bone otherwise you won’t know when it is cooked.

Ground meat

Check the temperature near the thickest area to see if the meat is done. An instant read thermometer is ideal for this.

Thin pork chops or hamburgers

The correct way to use a meat thermometer here would be to insert the probe thermometer sideways into the piece of meat at it’s thickest point.

General Temperature Guides when using a meat thermometer

Steak

Don’t even get me started on the poke test to get the desired outcome for your steak. Use your meat thermometer to get a precise internal temperature. Steaks are mostly made of beef and pork but not always. Other possibilities include lamb, veal, venison, and goat. To achieve the desired kind of cook, hit 120 degrees Fahrenheit for rare and at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit for medium.

Poultry

When cooking roast chicken or turkey, we especially need to ensure the meat is cooked properly. Take note that the ideal temperature for white meat is around 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Dark meat like legs and drumstick, generally the legs of the bird is 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Whatever piece of meat you are cooking, be it on a grill or in the oven you will want to check the temperature at its thickest part.

How to Use a Meat Thermometer

  1. Insert the thermometer needle into the deepest part of meat which you expect to finish cooking last – In a steak, meat or pork roast, this is generally just the middle of the thickest part of the meat. In poultry, the depth of the inner thigh or deepest part of the breast is the best position. In any case, it is important to avoid contacting bone as this can throw the measurement off. Also, avoid inserting the needle too far so that it is close to the other side of the meat. It should really be in the middle as much as possible
  2. Read the temperature on the thermometer – You should wait at least 30 seconds to see what the temperature is. It usually stops going up after about 30 seconds but this can vary from thermometer to thermometer.
  3. Remove your food when it reaches close to your desired internal temperature – If your recipe indicates a goal internal temperature use that. If not, there are several tables available of appropriate temperatures for different types of meat. Some thermometers even have them listed on the thermometer itself.

    Special note: When cooking larger roasts, you should remove your roast from the oven just before it reaches your desired temperature, maybe 5 to 10 degrees below. If you let the meat rest on a warm platter, covered in aluminum foil (which helps the temperature and juices redistribute) for 5 to 30 minutes (more for larger roasts, less for smaller cuts like a steak) the internal temperature will continue to rise several degrees as it sits. Therefore, if you take out a steak that is medium-rare, by the time it has sat for 5 to 10 minutes, it may be medium!

Check out our Smoking Times and Temperatures Chart to guide your for smoking and Grilling Time and Temperature Chart for grilling.

How to use a meat thermometer FAQ

Can you leave a meat thermometer in the meat while it’s cooking?

This depends on what type of meat thermometer you are using. Most wireless thermometers are designed to be left in a grill or smoker and pass along temperature information. Instant read thermometers are not meant to be left in the meat while it’s cooked.

How far in do you put a meat thermometer?

When cooking meat It depends on how thick the cut of meat is. Most thermometers need to be inserted at least ½ an inch and for thicker cuts than 1 inch, you should try to insert the probe to the center of the thickest area.

How many degrees will meat rise while resting?

You can expect smaller individual cuts of meat (say a chicken thigh or hamburger) will see the internal temperature rise by 3-4°F while it’s resting. Meanwhile, a larger cut (say a roast or turkey) can rise by 10-15°F sometimes higher.

What kind of meat thermometer can stay in the oven?

Make sure you use a meat thermometer that is marked oven safe inside any oven, grill or smoker. This type of thermometer is designed to stay in place for long periods and under high temperatures but are not designed for thin cuts of meat. Do not leave an instant read thermometer in the meat.

When should you insert a meat thermometer?

When you use a meat thermometer depends on the model you have and the cut of meat being cooked. Instant read thermometers should be inserted periodically checking the temperature about 25% through its cooking cycle, checking periodically. While a more advanced thermometer will usually have a probe that will insert when you put the meat on the grill and leave it in.

How do I calibrate meat thermometers?

Checking to see if your thermometer is accurate is easy. Simply dip the tip of the probe into a glass filled with ice water, the reading should come back as 32 degrees F or 0°C or freezing temperature. If you get a higher reading you will need to press your thermometers reset/recalibrate button. Be sure to read your owner’s manual for specific instructions.

What can I use if I don’t have a meat thermometer?

If you don’t have a meat thermometer on hand you should use the palm test. Relax your hand positioned palm upwards and feel the soft part of your thumb just below the thumb joint. The sensation is very similar to raw meat. Next, using your index finger to touch the meat. Repeat this process several times to ensure you’ve been careful. When the meat no longer feels like the fleshy part of your thumb it’s no longer raw.

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